6 BULLETIN 331, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



respectively, as against 12.3 per cent of decay and 16 per cent of decay 

 for the same periods in the commercially handled fruit. At the end 

 of a 10-day transit period, which is approximately equal in time to 

 shipment to Chicago, the commercially handled fruit showed over 

 eight times as much decay as developed in the same fruit when 

 carefully handled. 



CAREFULLY HANDLED 



COMMERCIALLY HANDLED 



PER C£-/vr D£CAV 



T 



) FIVE DAYS IN ICED CARl 



| 0.6 ON WITHDRAWAL .2fi j 



I 35 TWO DAYS LATER 



TEN DAYS IN ICED CA R 



IS ON WITHDRAWAL 



35 TWO DAYS LATER 



FIFTEEN DAYS IN ICED CAR 



ON WITHDRAWAL 

 TWO DAYS LATER 



Pig. 1.- 



-Diagram illustrating the percentages of decay in carefully and commercially 

 handled cherries, Salem, Oreg., 1911. 



Table I. — Decay in carefully and commercially handled cherries, Willamette 



Valley, season of 1911. 



Time in iced car. 



?ime and manner of handling and ex- 

 tent of decay (per cent). 



On withdrawal. 



Care- 

 ful. 



Commer- 

 cial. 



Two days after 

 withdrawal. 



Care- 

 ful. 



Commer- 

 cial. 



5 days., 

 10 days 

 15 days 



0.5 

 1.5 

 4.3 



2.8 

 12.3 

 16.0 



3.5 

 3.5 

 7.3 



10.8 

 21.4 

 26.1 



MARKET HOLDING TESTS. 



It is not only essential that the fruit be delivered on the market in 

 sound condition, but it is also of the greatest importance that it re- 

 main in good, sound condition for a reasonable period, for distribu- 

 tion to the consumers. Fruit that does not keep well after arrival or 

 which shows considerable spoilage while in the wholesalers' or re- 

 tailers' hands soon gets a reputation for poor keeping quality and is 

 seriously discounted, even though it arrives in practically sound 

 condition. 



The differences, as indicated in Table I, between commercially and 

 carefully handled fruit two days after withdrawal are, if anything, 

 more striking than the results on arrival. The inspection of the care- 



